Gao (Agenzia Fides) - In just 8 years three serious famines have been recorded in the Sahel region and the population has not had time to recover. According to the international NGO Action Contre la Faim (ACF), approximately 1.4 million children in the region may be dying from severe malnutrition and 10.3 million people are at risk of food insecurity. The situation is particularly serious in Mali where one family out of five in Gao and Timbuktu risk severe food insecurity, and one family out of five in the Kidal region there is an undernourished minor. The poor rains and the ongoing war in the country have prevented many from taking care of the crops in an appropriate manner. Unfortunately there are still 450,000 Malians do not want to return to their homes for fear, and the plight of refugees also increases the need for resources, food, drinking water, houses and basic services. In 2012, 18 million people risked starvation. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 19/04/2013)